Railway rail and fastening arrangement



1967 H.T. ASTLEY ETAL 3,297,253

RAILWAY RAIL AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT Filed May 18, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' 1967 H.T. ASTLEY ETAL 3,297,253

RAILWAY RAIL AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT Filed May 18, 1964 V 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 10, 1967 H. T. A STLEY ETAL 3,297,253

RAILWAY RAIL AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 18, 1964 Jan. 10, 1967 H.T. ASTLEY ETAL RAILWAY RAIL AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 18, 1964 FlGl6 United States Patent 3,297,253 RAILWAY RAIL AND FASTENING ARRANGEMENT Harold Trevor Astley, Petts Wood, Kent, and Alfred llltyd Webher-Jones, Woking, Surrey, England, assignors to Lockspike Limited, London, England, a British company Filed May 18, 1964, Ser. No. 367,952 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 16, 1963, 28,195/63 7 Claims. (Cl. 238-349) This invention relates to an assembly comprising a railway rail, a railway sleeper and a fastening arrangement securing the rail to the sleeper.

There has recently become known a fastening member for anchoring a railway rail comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion in the form of a reverse bend, then a third portion extending generally in the direction of said one end, then a fourth portion which extends from the third portion, generally to that side thereof upon which said leg is disposed, and constitutes a second reverse-bend, and finally a fifth portion extending in the general direction towards the junction between the first and second portions, the configuration being such that when the fastening member is in situ with its first portion horizontal and it is viewed in plan, the third and fifth portions appear on opposite sides of said first portion. A fastening member as just set forth will be referred to below as a fastening member of the character defined and is disclosed in the specification of Patent No. 3,004,716 (Pande-Rolfsen) In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURES 1 to 3 show a rail-fastening member of the character defined, the views being a side view, a plan and an end view, respectively,

FIGURE 4 diagrammatically shows the shape of crosssection of the fastening member at the plane indicated by the arrows marked IV--IV in FIGURE 1, the parts to the left (in FIGURE 1) of this plane being omitted from FIGURE 4 for the sake of simplicity,

, FIGURES 5 to 8 show, by views corresponding to those of FIGURES l to 4, respectively, a second rail-fastening member of the character defined, and

FIGURES 9 to 12 show, by views corresponding to those of FIGURES 1 to 4, respectively, a third railfastening member of the character defined.

The fastening member shown in FIGURES l to 4 has been described and illustrated in patent specifications of several countries. The fastening members shown in FIGURES 5 to 12 are modified versions of it and in these figures the numbering of the various parts corresponds to that used in FIGURES l to 4, so that it is only necessary here to describe in detail what is shown in FIGURES 1 to 4.

' The rail-fastening member or clip shown in FIGURES l to 4 consists of a bent length 1 of resilient steel of rod form and of circular cross-section having a diameter at least 1 cm. and preferably nearly.2 cm. It can be regarded as consisting of five portions which succeed one another along the length thereof. These five portions are: (l) A first portion which constitutes a straight leg extending from the end marked 10 to about the position of the arrow marked 11,

(2) A second portion which constitutes a reverse bend 12 extending from the end of the leg 7 (at about the position of the arrow marked 11) to about the position of the arrow marked 13,

(3) A third portion 9 which extends generally in the direction of the end 10 of the leg 7. This third portion extends from about the position of the :arrow marked 13 to about the position of the arrow marked 14, l

(4) A fourth portion 15 which extends'from about the position of the arrow marked 14 to about the position of the arrow marked 16. The portion 15 extends generally to that side of the portion 9 upon which the leg 7 is situated, that is to say it extends generally downwardly (considering FIGURE 2), as distinct from-extending upwardly or purely forwardly or backwardly. Still considering FIGURE 2, the portion 15 does in fact lead slightly forwardly and then backwardly, as it extends laterally from the portion 9, in order to leave space between itself and the leg 7. This is apparent from FIGURES 1 and 3,

(5) A fifth portion 8 which extends'in the general direction of the junction (arrow 11) between the leg 7 and the portion 12. The portion 8 terminates at the end of the rod marked 17. The radius of curvature of the reverse-bend portion 15 is greater than that of the reversebend portion 12. v

At the region of the fastening member that is shown in FIGURE 4, the leg 7 lies below a line 18 joining the centers of the parts 8 and '9 of the fastening member. In the corresponding region of the second fastening member, as shown in FIGURE 8, the leg 7 lies on the corresponding line 18, whereas in the corresponding region of the third fastening member, as shown in FIGURE 12, the leg 7 lies above the corresponding line 18. Other differences between the three illustrated fastening members will be apparent from examination of the drawings.

The radius of curvature of the reverse-bend portion 15 could be the same as or less than the radius of curvature of the reverse-bend portion 12. r l

According to the present invention, there is provided a railway track assembly comprising an electrically condetive railway sleeper, a flange-footed rail resting crosswise on the sleeper, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, an anchoring member fixed to the sleeper, portions of the anchoring member defining a substantially horizontal passage in the anchoring member beside the rail flange and substantially parallel to the length of the rail, a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, and a resilient railway rail-fastening member of rod form having one portion constituting a substantially straight leg and lying in said passage, another portion bearing downwardly upon said one leg of said elongate member and a further portion bearing downwardly upon said fixed unyielding surface. The railway rail-fastening member is preferably a fastening member of the character defined, the sleeper is preferably a concrete sleeper and the anchoring member is preferably cast from malleable iron and incorporated in the sleeper during casting of the sleeper before the concrete had set, with a leg of the anchoring member extending into the concrete and formed with protuberances on one or more of its sides, between which protuberances lies some of the concrete which prevents withdrawal of the anchoring member from the sleeper.

The fixed unyielding surface may be part of the anchoring member or part of a removable member mounted on the anchoring member or it may be part of a separate member let into the upper surface of the sleeper.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made to FIGURES 13 to 16 of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 13 and 14 are two side views, and FIGURE 15 is a plan view, of part of a railway track assembly, these figures showing part of a railway rail, part of a concrete railway sleeper and means'on one side of the rail for securing the rail to the sleeper, and

FIGURE 16 is a plan view of the same railway track assembly and shows parts of two rails, all of the railway sleeper and the rail-securing means on both sides of each rail.

In FIGURES 13 to 15, there is shown the flange 21 of a flange-footed railway rail resting on a rubber pad 22 which is laid on the upper surface 23A of a concrete railway sleeper 23. On the two sides of the rail there are two similar arrangements for holding the rail down, although in FIGURES 13 to 15 this is shown only in the case of the left-hand side. It includes a rail-fastening member or clip as described above and illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. Only three limbs, 7, 8 and 9 of the clip are shown, in dotted lines. These numbers represent the same parts of the clip as they do in FIGURES l to 4. On the edge of the flange there is placed an elongate electrical insulator consisting of a moulding 24 of nylon or other insulating material of approximately L-shaped cross-section, one leg 25 of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and has the limb 9 of the rail clip bearing upon it, whereas the other leg 26 lies against the side [of the rail flange and has two projections 26A extending from it, with a recess 30 between them.

An anchoring member that has been cast in a mould is fixed to the sleeper, this member consisting of malleable cast iron and comprisinga flat surface 31 lying on the upper surface 23A of the sleeper, a projecting leg 32 extending downwardly into the sleeper, a block portion 33, substantially square as seen in plan, extending upwardly from the surface 31, a concave surface 34 at the top of the block portion 33 and a passage 35 of circular cross-section, having flared mouths 35A, in the block portion 33. The limb 7 of the rail clip is driven in the passage 35 and lies horizontally and presses upwardly on the upper surface of the passage, Whereas the limb 8 of the rail clip presses downwardly on the concave surface 34. Part of the block portion 33 lies in the recess 30 in the insulator 24, so that the projections 26A are on opposite sides of the block portion 33 and they abut it in the even of there being any tendency for the insulator to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail and this prevents the insulator from sliding along the rail when the clip is being driven into position.

The leg 32 of the anchoring member is formed with protuberances 36 on all four sides and it is cast in the concrete, that is to say incorporated in the concrete before the latter has set. The protuberances could be on only one or some of the sides of the leg 32.

In FIGURE 16 the cast anchoring members are referenced 40. It will be seen that the two fastening members on the opposite sides of each rail have their legs 7 4 driven in opposite directions into the anchoring members, 40.

The insulators 24 electrically insulate the rails from the clips, and, owing to the use of the pads 22, the rails are therefore insulated from the sleeper and from one another.

Where the limb 8 of each clip bears upon the corresponding cast anchoring member, there could be a removable seating, for example of metal or of nylon, which can be removed and replaced by another after considerable wear has taken place.

The width of the block portion 33 of each cast anchoring member in the direction of the length of the rail could be increased and then two or more legs, each with protuberances on one, some of or all sides, could extend downwardly from it and could be fixed in the concrete by being cast in it.

Cast iron anchoring members somewhat similar to that which has been described above and illustrated in FIG- URES 13 to 15 could be cast in the concrete and used in a corresponding manner in conjunction with the fastening members according to FIGURES 5 to 8 and FIG- URES 9 to 12.

It is possible so to design the fastening members or clips and the cast anchoring members that the part 8 of each fastening member bears upon an insulator 24 and the part 9 bears upon the concave surface 34 or upon an insert in the cast anchoring member or upon a member let into the upper surface of the sleeper.

We claim:

1. A railway track assembly comprising an electrically conductive railway sleeper, a flange-footed rail resting crosswise on the sleeper, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, an anchoring member fixed to the sleeper, portions of the anchoring member defining a substantially horizontal passage in the anchoring member beside the rail flange and substantially parallel to the length of the rail, a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, and a resilient railway rail-fastening member of rod form having one portion constituting a substantially straight leg and lying in said passage, another portion bearing downwardly upon said one leg of said elongate member and a further portion bearing downwardly upon said fixed unyielding surface.

2. A railway track assembly comprising an electrically conductive railway sleeper, a fiange-footed rail resting crosswise on the sleeper, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, a cast anchoring member of malleable iron fixed to the sleeper, portions of the anchoring member defining a substantially horizontal passage in the anchoring member beside the rail flange and substantially parallel to the length of the rail, a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped crosssection having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, and a resilient railway rail-fastening member of rod form having one portion constituting a substantially straight leg and lying in said passage, another portion bearing downwardly upon said one leg of said elongate member and a further portion bearing downwardly upon said fixed unyielding surface.

3. A railway track assembly comprising a concrete railway sleeper, a flange-footed rail resting crosswise on the sleeper, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, an anchoring member fixed to the sleeper by being incorporated in it during casting of the concrete, portions of the anchoring member defining a substantially horizontal passage in the anchoring member beside the rail flange and substantially parallel to the length of the rail, a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, and a resilient railway nail-fastening member of rod form having one portion constituting a substantially straight leg and lying in said passage, another portion bearing downwardly upon said one leg of said elongate member and a further portion bearing downwardly upon said fixed unyielding surface.

4. A railway track assembly comprising an electrically conductive railway sleeper, a flange-footed rail resting crosswise on the sleeper, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, an anchoring member fixed to the sleeper, portions of the anchoring member defining a substantially horizontal passage in the anchoring member beside the rail flange and substantially parallel to the length of the rail, a further portion of said anchoring member affording a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, and a resilient railway rail-fastening member of rod form having one portion constituting a substantially straight leg and lying in said passage, another portion bearing downwardly upon said one leg of said elongate member and a further portion bearing downwardly upon said fixed unyielding surface.

5. A railway track assembly comprising a concrete railway sleeper, a flange-footed rail resting crossvvire on the sleeper, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, a cast anchoring member having a leg extending into the sleeper, protuberances on at least one side of said leg between which lies some of the concrete, portions of the anchoring member defining a substantially horizontal passage in the anchoring member beside the rail flange and substantially parallel to the length of the rail, a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, and a resilient railway rail-fastening member of rod form having one portion constituting a substantially straight leg and lying in said passage, another portion bearing downwardly upon said one leg of said elongate member and a further portion bearing downwardly upon said fixed unyielding surface.

6. In combination, a railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion in the form of a reverse bend, then a third portion extending generally in the direction of said one end, then a fourth portion which extends from the third portion, generally to that side thereof upon which said leg is disposed, and constitutes a further reverse bend, and finally a fifth portion extending in the general direction towards the junction between the first and second portions, a railway rail, a flange at the base of the rail, an electrically conductive sleeper underneath the rail in crossed relation thereto, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, an anchoring member fixed to the sleeper and disposed adjacent the rail, portions of said anchoring member defining a passage which extends alongside the rail, parallel to the length of the rail, and is closed at the top and open at least at one end, a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, and an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, said railway rail-fastening member having said first portion thereof lying in said passage and said third and fifth portions thereof bearing downwardly one upon said one leg of said elongate member and the other upon said fixed unyielding surface.

7. In combination, a railway rail-fastening member comprising a length of resilient metal of rod form which is bent so as to have, progressing from one end of the length of metal to the other, a first portion which constitutes a substantially straight leg, then a second portion in the form of a reverse bend, then a third portion extending generally in the direction of said one end, then a fourth portion which extends from the third portion, generally to that side thereof upon which said leg is disposed, and constitutes a further reverse bend, and finally a fifth portion extending in the general direction towards the junction between the first and second portions, a railway rail, a flange at the base of the rail, a concrete railway sleeper underneath the rail in crossed relation thereto, electrically insulating material between the rail and the sleeper, a cast anchoring member disposed adjacent the rail and having a leg extending into the sleeper, protuberances on at least one side of said leg between which lies some of the concrete, portions of said anchoring member defining a passage which extends alongside the rail, parallel to the length of the rail, and is closed at the top and open at least at one end, a further portion of said anchoring member affording a fixed unyielding surface which, as seen from the rail, is disposed outward of said passage, and an elongate member of electrically insulating material of substantially L-shaped cross-section having one leg of the L lying on the top of the rail flange and the other leg of the L lying between the outer edge of the rail flange and said portions of the anchoring member and also having two projections extending from said other leg on opposite sides of the anchoring member for abutting the anchoring member in the event of there being any tendency for said elongate member to move in a direction parallel to the length of the rail, said railway rail-fastening member having said first portion thereof lying in said passage, and said third and fifth portions thereof bearing downwardly one upon said one leg of said elongate member and the other upon said fixed unyielding surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,004,716 7 10/1961 Pande-Rolfsen 238349 FOREIGN PATENTS 841,085 7/1960 Great Britain. 884,237 12/1961 Great Britain. 

1. A RAILWAY TRACK ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE RAILWAY SLEEPER, A FLANGE-FOOTED RAIL RESTING CROSSWISE ON THE SLEEPER, ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL BETWEEN THE RAIL AND THE SLEEPER, AN ANCHORING MEMBER FIXED TO THE SLEEPER, PORTIONS OF THE ANCHORING MEMBER DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PASSAGE IN THE ANCHORING MEMBER BESIDE THE RAIL FLANGE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH OF THE RAIL, A FIXED UNYIELDING SURFACE WHICH, AS SEEN FROM THE RAIL, IS DISPOSED OUTWARD OF SAID PASSAGE, AN ELONGATE MEMBER OF ELECTRICALLY INSULATING MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED CROSS-SECTION HAVING ONE LEG OF THE L LYING ON THE TOP OF THE RAIL FLANGE AND THE OTHER LEG OF THE L LYING BETWEEN THE OUTER EDGE OF THE RAIL FLANGE AND SAID PORTIONS OF THE ANCHORING MEMBER AND ALSO HAVING TWO PROJECTIONS EXTENDING FROM SAID OTHER LEG ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE ANCHORING MEMBER FOR ABUTTING THE ANCHORING MEMBER IN THE EVENT OF THERE BEING ANY TENDENCY FOR SAID ELONGATE MEMBER TO MOVE IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO THE LENGTH OF THE RAIL, AND A RESILIENT RAILWAY RAIL-FASTENING MEMBER OF ROD FORM HAVING ONE PORTION CONSTITUTING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LEG AND LYING IN SAID PASSAGE, ANOTHER PORTION BEARING DOWNWARDLY UPON SAID ONE LEG OF SAID ELONGATE MEMBER AND A FURTHER PORTION BEARING DOWNWARDLY UPON SAID FIXED UNYIELDING SURFACE. 